India wins the bid to host UCI Road World Championship 2032 in Pune

Pune has won the bid to host the UCI Road World Championships 2032, bringing cycling’s global showcase to India for the first time and marking a landmark moment for Maharashtra and the country’s sporting ambitions. The historic bid was a joint effort by the Government of Maharashtra and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), with the support of the Government of India, built around a shared vision to establish Pune as a global cycling destination and create a lasting legacy for cycling across the district, Maharashtra and India.

The landmark announcement comes at a significant moment in India’s sporting journey. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic Games, with a focus on strengthening sporting infrastructure, nurturing talent and building India’s capabilities as a global sporting nation. The National Sports Policy 2025, approved by the Union Cabinet, sets out a roadmap to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse and a strong contender for excellence at international sporting events, including the 2036 Olympic Games.

The decision was announced at the UCI Congress in Montréal, Canada, following Pune’s final candidature presentation to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). A senior delegation from the Government of Maharashtra was present in Montréal to champion Pune’s candidature, comprising Mr. Ranjit Singh Deol, Principal Secretary, School Education and Sports Department; Mr. Deepak Singla, Commissioner, Sports and Youth Services; Mr. Rajesh Deshmukh, Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister, Government of Maharashtra; Mr. Jitendra Dudi, District Collector, Pune; Mr. Maninder Pal Singh, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of India; and Onkar Singh , Former Secretary General, Asian Cycling Confederation.

The candidature process culminated in a two-horse race between Pune, India, and Groningen/Drenthe, Netherlands, after Colombia and Mexico were eliminated on. Pune’s bid gained momentum following a three-member UCI inspection team’s September 4–6 visit, which assessed key venues and proposed race infrastructure, including Balewadi Stadium and the Pune University circuit. Both finalists presented their bids in Montréal during the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, ahead of the final announcement at the UCI Congress. Pune’s candidature was formally presented by Mr. Jitendra Dudi, District Collector, Pune; and Maninder Pal Singh, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of India who outlined the city’s vision, preparedness and long-term plans to host the 2032 UCI Road World Championships.

This win will bring the world’s leading road cyclists to India and give Pune and Maharashtra an unprecedented global platform to showcase their sporting capabilities, infrastructure, landscapes, culture and growing cycling ecosystem.

The UCI Road World Championships are among the most prestigious events in the international cycling calendar, bringing together the world’s leading riders to compete for the coveted rainbow jerseys. The scale of the Championship is demonstrated by its recent editions. The 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali brought together 734 riders representing 113 countries, attracted around two million spectators and generated a cumulative television audience of nearly 300 million viewers worldwide. The event also featured 308 media representatives from five continents.

For India, the win represents an opportunity to bring the global cycling community to the country while creating a long-term platform for athlete development, infrastructure, participation and sporting expertise. India’s candidature was built around its large cycling base, growing grassroots movement, established UCI event-hosting experience and ambition to develop a stronger grassroots-to-elite pathway for the sport.

Pune’s successful bid builds on a growing track record of international sporting events and, most significantly, the experience gained through the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour, a UCI 2.2 stage race that has established the city’s capability to deliver international road cycling.

The Government of Maharashtra and CFI worked together to develop a candidature backed by government institutions, sporting bodies and a long-term vision for the city. The bid presentation highlighted the strength of this institutional partnership, with state and district institutions directly involved in delivering the infrastructure and operational systems required for a major international championship.

A UCI delegation, accompanied by senior representatives of the Cycling Federation of India, recently undertook a detailed recce of Pune as part of the candidature process. The delegation assessed proposed race infrastructure, venues, accommodation, start and finish locations, race routes and operational arrangements, including the Balewadi Sports Complex, Savitribai Phule Pune University and proposed official hotels and event venues. The delegation was also presented with the race routes developed and successfully implemented for the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour. The routes were demonstrated using the actual race convoy and operational setup, showcasing the experience as a foundation for the World Championships.

The 2026 Pune Grand Tour demonstrated proven capability under real-world race conditions, with coordination across 25+ government departments and 437 km of race-ready roads. The bid envisages this experience being strengthened year-on-year, giving Pune six years of Grand Tour experience by the time the World Championships arrive in 2032.

David Lappartient, President, Union Cycliste Internationale, said: “The report on the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour presented to the UCI Management Committee by the delegation led by Pune District Collector Mr Jitendra Dudi is extremely encouraging. Cycling continues to develop in new territories where it has the potential to become a leading sport. India is a country where our sport has a bright future, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of key stakeholders.”

Pune’s selection places India within a distinguished sequence of international destinations that have hosted cycling’s flagship road championship. In the last five editions, the UCI Road World

Championships have travelled from Wollongong, Australia (2022), Glasgow and Scotland (2023), Zurich, Switzerland (2024), Kigali, Rwanda (2025) and Montréal, Canada (2026).

The championship’s global footprint will continue to expand in the years ahead. The 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships will take place in Haute-Savoie, France, while the UCI Road World Championships will be hosted by Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2028; Denmark in 2029; Brussels, Belgium, in 2030; and Trentino, Italy, in 2031, before arriving in Pune in 2032.

Pune’s selection therefore represents more than India joining the global road cycling calendar. It marks the sport’s continued expansion into new geographies and gives India the opportunity to build its own identity within the international cycling ecosystem.

Jitendra Dudi, District Collector, Pune, said: “This is a defining moment for Pune and the result of a shared vision between the Government of Maharashtra and the Cycling Federation of India. Hosting the UCI Road World Championships is not simply about hosting a cycling race; it places Pune and India on one of international cycling’s most visible annual stages, bringing together elite sport, mass public participation, global broadcasting, tourism, economic impact and destination branding. More importantly, it gives Pune the opportunity to strengthen its identity as a global city and leave a lasting legacy for cycling and sport in India.”

Pune’s vision for 2032 extends beyond hosting the Championship, with an ambition to establish the city as India’s definitive cycling district, build a lasting culture of cycling and racing, develop world-class infrastructure and attract global tourists, businesses and opportunities.

The Championship will be a ‘people’s race’, encouraging communities to engage with, understand and participate in cycling. The candidature projects up to 2.5 million spectators, while the proposed routes will showcase Pune’s forts, ghats, farms, heritage and pilgrimage sites, bringing the city’s story to global audiences.

The event will also take cycling to a wider Indian audience through leading broadcasters, OTT and digital platforms, sporting personalities, brands and India’s vast social media community, turning 2032 into a nationwide celebration of the sport.

The journey to 2032 will focus on strengthening India’s cycling ecosystem – from grassroots participation and coaching to elite athlete development, technical expertise, infrastructure and event delivery.

India already has a growing base of trained coaches, commissaires and officials, along with an established national and international cycling calendar. The journey to 2032 will build on this foundation through knowledge exchange with world champions, global expertise, year-on-year growth of the Pune Grand Tour, and UCI-aligned coaching and certification pathways.

Maninder Pal Singh, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of India, said: “For Indian cycling, this is an opportunity to move from participation to performance and from hosting international races to becoming a part of cycling’s global conversation. The years leading to 2032 will be about creating stronger pathways for our athletes, coaches and technical officials, bringing international expertise into India and giving our riders greater exposure to the highest standards of the sport. The Cycling Federation of India is committed to using this opportunity to build an ecosystem that can compete with the best in the world.”

The roadmap to 2032 will also focus on women’s and youth cycling, upgraded infrastructure, sustainability, local employment and sports tourism, ensuring the Championship creates a legacy that extends well beyond the event.

The ambition is to leave behind more young cyclists, stronger athlete pathways, greater participation by women and a safer, more sustainable cycling culture long after the final rider crosses the finish line.

The 2032 UCI Road World Championships will also form part of India’s longer-term sporting journey towards its 2036 Olympic ambition. The National Sports Policy 2025 identifies excellence on the global stage, grassroots-to-elite pathways, world-class sports infrastructure, sports tourism and the development of sporting personnel as key priorities, while explicitly positioning India for excellence at international sporting events including the 2036 Olympic Games.

For Pune and Maharashtra, hosting the UCI Road World Championships will provide an opportunity to develop experience in managing a complex international championship involving athletes, teams, technical officials, broadcasters, spectators and global stakeholders. The Championship can also contribute to the development of race infrastructure, sports administration, volunteer networks, technical expertise, athlete pathways and event-management capabilities.

With 2032 preceding the proposed 2036 Olympic Games by four years, the World Championships will be an important milestone in demonstrating India’s capacity to plan and deliver a major global sporting event, while creating capabilities and infrastructure that can continue to serve Indian sport beyond the Championship.

With Pune’s successful bid, the years to 2032 will focus on translating the vision into a world-class Championship and a lasting legacy for Indian cycling. The focus will be on infrastructure, race routes, athlete and talent development, technical capabilities, community participation, sustainability and the creation of an ecosystem capable of welcoming athletes, teams, officials, media and spectators from across the world.

The UCI Road World Championships will give India a global stage to showcase its sporting ambition, cycling talent and growing capabilities, with Pune at the heart of this landmark journey.